Process for the production of high polymeric condsensation products



Patented Feb. 15, 1944' UNITED STATES PATENT orr ca PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH POLYMERIC CONDSENSATION PRODUCTS Max Hagedorn, Dessau, and Ernst Schmitz-Hillebrecht, Bitterfeld, Germany; vested in the Alien- Property Custodian No Drawing. Application April 1",, 1940, Serial No.

327,632. In Germany March 24, 1939 V 4 Claims. (01.260-78) This invention relates to the production of high polymeric condensation products. I

-It is an object gt this invention to produce high polymeric produ ts by condensation.

Another object is the provision of high po ymeric products of various properties.

polyamino carboxylic acids are used in excess asthe starting material, usually resinous glass-clear products are obtained. If the aliphatic amino carboxylic acid is in excess, polymers of the so called superpolyamide type are obtained. Such condensates are not pure chain-polymerisates, but show also netand bridge-formation.

superpolymeric' reaction products is extensively influenced by. the kind of aromatic polyamino carboxylic acids used in this reaction. The use of the symmetrical 3,5-diamino benzoic acid -,for instance leads to very hard condensates, Whereas the application of the 2,5-diaminobenzoic acid results in softer high polymers.

As aliphatic amino carboxylic acids, the compounds of this constitution known to be useful in polyamide formation may be used, preferably, however, ri -amino carboxylic acids, containing 5 and more carbon ,atoms between the amino and the carboxyl group. Instead of the free aliphatic amino carboxylic acids there can be used the known condensable amide-forming derivatives,

like anhydrides, (which is to be considered as embracing the lactams) esters, nitriles, halides and the like may be employed. Instead of the which afterwards react with the carboxylic acids with a secondary aminogroup react much slower.

It'is also possible to use instead of the amino carboxylic acid mixtures of dicarboxylic acids and terminal diamines, which simultaneously are condensed amongst themselves into acid amides,

I boxylic acids.

Thearomatic polyamino carboxylic acids include the various diamino benzoic acids, diamino naphthoic acids and the corresponding trlamino carboxylic acids, in which still other places of the rings or an amino group may be substituted.

Also useful in this invention are such aromatic polyamino carboxylic acids which contain more than one carboxyl group, e. g. the -4,4'-diaminodiphenyl-3,3'-dicarboxylic acid or diaminodiphenylmethane-A-dicarboxylic-acid,- p-aminodiphenyl-aspartic acid.

The/union of the various amino carboxylic acids is accomplished inthe simplest form-by. melting, which may' be done in the presence or absence of an indifferent solvent or non-solvent The chemical and physical character of the.

for the starting components or for the reaction product. The reaction temperature lies at an average within 175250" C. If polymerization of t the reactants into high molecular reaction products occurs below that temperature range, this polymerization takes place very slowly and often without giving the maximal chain-length.

High purity of the starting materials and also the exclusion of atmospheric oxygen during the purely aliphatic amino carboxylic acids also aromatic substituted ones may be used. Care has to be taken, however, that the substitution does not reaction is most important for the quality of the high molecular final product. The pressure in the reaction vessel is far less important. One may work at the normal atmospheric pressure, in a vacuum, or with excess pressure, according to the steamand sublimation pressure of the reactants and the kind of reaction, polymerization, and/or condensation, whereby water is split ofi.

Generally it is not necessary to add special catalysts accelerating the polymerization. Most probably the polycarboxylic acid accelerates reactiona However, if the speed of the reaction is slow, it may be increased by catalysts. A large number of catalytically efiective substances are available for selection according to the reaction conditions used. Catalysts of an acid nature are .most eflective. Examples of these catalysts are inorganic acids i. e. hydrochloric acid, aliphatic polyaminocar-.

and aromatic carboxylic acids, phenols, suifo acids, generally speaking compounds reacting acids. hydrohalides of amines or amino carb'oxylic under formation of organic acids. Secondary in suited for the production offilms (for photographic and other purposes), plates (as substitutes for glass), sheets or foils (for electric insulation, coating foils for cigarette tips, wrapping foils; adhesive foils, light filters, patterns, stencils, supports for prints or the like), sound records (either those in which the sound track is cut mechanically into the support or is 131- pressedv therein without removal of material. (The Edison or the Berliner method)), masses for the reproduction and printing arts,.masses for dye-casting and moulding by pressure (production of camera parts and casings for rollfilm or fllmpacks by pressing or rolling, production of spools or parts thereof for photographic rollfilms by the moulding method), as adhesive or intermediate layers for composite glass. The sheets or foils made from the materials according to this invention may be provided-with a metallic coating according to a known process.

The application of the products in the form of films, filaments and the like takes place according to known processes, which include the following methods: dye-casting, casting from the melt or from solutions, drawing from the molten mass or under pressure below the softening point, warmand cold stretching, rolling, in order to effect an orientation of the molecules in one or several directions, etc.

Example I e-aminocaprolactam and 3,5-diamino benzoic acid, both purified by repeated crystallization, are well mixed andhe'ated 20 hours at 200C. in a glass tube in a pure CO: atmosphere under quicksilver cover allowing an excess pressure of about 50 mm. Hg.

The following variations may be mentioned:

The hardness and the melting point increase from a-e, the 'latter being capable of being moulded at temperatures above 300 C. only. a is capable of swelling in formic acid, b to d are dissolved therein and yield films from this solution, which are brittle except e. a is not soluble in 25 per cent hydrochloric acid, b to e are soluble therein, partly also in acids of lower concentraticu.

Example I! c-aminocaprolactam is condensed with 1,2- phenlyene-diaminei-carboxylic acid according to Example I as dihydrochloride at C. for 24 hours.

The following variations may be mentioned:

a'and b dissolved in formic acid yield a soft, slightly sticky film, thefilm from c is somewhat harder, the film from d is still harder.

Example III e-aminocaprolactam and 2,5-diaminobenzoic- I acid-dihydrochloride are mixed and heated as in Examples I and II at 190-210 C. for 24 hours.

The following variations may be mentioned:

(a) 8 parts e-aminocaprolactorn+12 parts 2,5-

diaminobenzoic-acid dihydrochioride, a black-green, sticky condensate. (b) 12 parts e-aminocapro1actam-+8 parts 2,5-

diaminobenzoic-acid dihydrocl noride, .a green, transparent resin, soluble in methanol'.

(c) 15 parts e-aminocaprolactam-i-fv parts 2,5-

diaminobenzoic-acid dihydrochioride, a green, transparent, sticky resin, soluble in methol.

(d) '19 parts e-aminocaprolactam+1 part 2,5-

diamlnobenzoicacidhydrochloride, opaque, milkybrownish resin of great hardness. It is insoluble in methanol, but dissolves readily in formic acid, m-cresol and concentrated sulfuric acid.

Example IV ored melt is obtained soluble not only in formic.

acid, but also in hot water. The film from formic acid is transparent and brittle. If the reactants are mixed in the proportion 4:1 and a catalyst, e. g. 'e-amino-caproic-acid hydrochloride is added and the reaction mixture heated I under the above mentioned conditions for 24 hours at 200-205 C., a dark-lustrous melt is obtained soluble in methanol and formic acid. After casting of this solution a sticky film is obtained.

Example V 3 parts hexamethylenediammonium adipate and 2 parts pure 3,5-diamino benzoic acid are caused to react at 200 C. for 24 hours under conditions as mentioned in the preceding examples. A transparent, red colored resin is obtained, not soluble in any solvent.

If the reactants are applied in the proportion 3:2, a transparent resin is obtained less red in 7 color and capable of swelling in formic acid.

What we claim is:

1. A process for the manufacture of superpolymers which comprises melting an aromatic polyamino carboxylic acid containing at least two primary amino groups with an aliphatic amino carboxylic acid substance selected from the class consisting of aliphatic omega primary carborwlic acid compound is one containing atleast 5 carbon atoms between the amino and the carbon atom of the carboxylic group.

MAX HAGEDORN. ERNE ST SCHMI'IZ-HIILBRECHT. 

